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Privacy
Personal Privacy is a Liberty on Decline in the US More and more, the US government is teaming up with private companies to collect massive amounts of data on citizens. Robert O'Harrow, a journalist, wrote: "More than ever before, the details about our lives are no longer our own. They belong to the companies that collect them, and the government agencies that buy or demand them in the name of keeping us safe." * Planks on privacy from Mark Rauterkus * Ten Commandments of privacy by John Featherman * Philly Congressional candidate, Raj Peter Bhakta, has grave concerns about the infringement of privacy rights of citizens from May, 2006 Insights Congress may consider mandatory ISP snooping April 2006 -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gave a speech saying that data retention by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is an "issue that must be addressed." A member of the Congressional Internet Caucus is preparing to introduce an amendment that would make such data deletion illegal. Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette's (D) proposal says that any Internet service that "enables users to access content" must permanently retain records that would permit police to identify each user. Insights Black Box Privacy N.D. Lawmaker Seeks Black Box Privacy Guards Background * New cars come equipped with computer sensors that can be leveraged by the long arm of the law. Auto dealers might fail to mention to car owners the various "black boxes" and computer chips that store information on speed, seat belt use, location and such. Elsewhere North Dakota is one of at least eight states considering black-box regulation this year, Bob Boerner, an official with the National Conference of State Legislatures, said Friday. Others are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. California has a law on the books requiring dealers and vehicle rental companies to inform drivers when a car has a black box. In New York, it is illegal for rental companies to use global positioning system technology to track drivers and use the data to charge extra fees or penalties. Details N.D. state senator, Holmberg (R-Grand Forks), believes privacy is being violated and is taking aim at black boxes. "When I bought my car," he said, "I didn't realize I was also buying a highway patrolman to sit in the back seat." Holmberg bill requires dealers to tell buyers if their new car or truck is equipped with a black box. The bill also prohibits the data from being used in court unless there is a court order. Subscription services such as OnStar, which can be used to track a vehicle's movements, would be exempt. He worries the data could be used to track driving habits or be used against a driver who has an accident. "Most people don't realize these devices are in their vehicle, that the information recorded may be used against them and there's no sort of regulation about who owns that information," he said. To General Motors, said lobbyist Thomas Kelsch, it makes no sense to bar information from the computer chip from being used in court. "What's the societal good that would result from the suppression of valuable crash data?" Kelsch asked. Accident investigators argue that the privacy concerns are overblown. "These guys are trying to roll back North Dakota courts to the Dark Ages," said Jim Harris, owner of Harris Technical Services, a Florida-based accident investigation company. "What are you going to do? Leave out videotapes?" * The National Highway Transportation Administration says about 15 percent of vehicles - or about 30 million cars and trucks - have black boxes. About 65 percent to 90 percent of 2004 cars and trucks have them, according to the NHTA. * Rusty Haight, director of the Collision Safety Institute, which researches crashes and trains accident investigators, said black boxes were introduced in cars along with air bags in the 1970s. * Air bag sensors collected the information now in the black box. Black boxes allow researchers to see how well systems perform. North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Mark Bethke said crash investigators must have a warrant to access information from a recorder. He said the patrol collects such information less than once a month and has never used it in court. John Buchanan, a Miami accident reconstruction expert, said investigators must compare what the recorder says to the physical evidence at an accident scene. "I'm a big believer in the box," he said. "But you cannot just take a box, read what it says and say that's what happened." Insurance companies already have limited access to some data. State Farm requires its customers to help with investigations, including allowing insurance employees to look at their vehicles, said Dick Luedke, a spokesman for the Illinois-based insurer. Progressive Insurance began a voluntary program last year in which the company gives drivers a chip similar to a black box that can be used to transmit data, said spokeswoman Shannon Radigan. Progressive offers drivers the possibility of a break on their insurance rates based on when, how much and how fast they drive, she said. The average discount is between 12 percent and 15 percent, she said. North Dakota auto dealers say they have not heard many complaints about black boxes. Sales people say customers rarely ask about them. And police say the devices are not common. "They're just not very prevalent," said Fargo Sgt. Joel Vettel. Links * Video surveillance * Wiretaps * Drug testing Media * Census survey reactions from Tribune Review's Steigerwald in May, 2006 category: freedom